Skyedance is a mostly American Celtic
band headed up by Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser. On its latest CD, it heads
toward the more melodic side of Celtic music. Skyedance reflects the eclectic
nature of its musicians with global percussion from Peter Maund and the pitch-bending
fretless bass of Mick Linden. Its dynamic rhythm interplay powers Fraser's opening
fiddle feature, "The Spark," as well as the Moorish tinge of "La Gallega" and
"Into The Labyrinth." Skyedance weaves lush instrumentals with uilleann
and Highland bagpipes, wooden flutes, and keyboards wrapping around each other
like a Celtic knot in motion. Fraser's fiddle ties it all together, bending
in gypsy seduction one moment and flickering pyrotechnics the next. Playing
all original music, Skyedance taps into a rich melodic vein. With Nightnoise
dormant, Skyedance steps up as an important, all-instrumental Celtic band.